Air cleaners and purifiers are widely used for removing foreign substances from the air. The foreign substances can include pollen, dander, smoke, pollutants, dust, etc. In addition, an air cleaner can be used to circulate room air. An air cleaner can be used in many settings, including at home, in offices, workrooms, etc.
One type of air cleaner is an electrostatic precipitator. An electrostatic precipitator operates by creating a high-voltage electrical field, typically in excess of 5,000 volts. Dirt and debris in the air becomes ionized when it is brought into this high voltage electrical field by an airflow. Charged plates or electrodes in the electrostatic precipitator air cleaner, such as positive and negative plates or positive and grounded plates, create the electrical field and one of the electrode polarities attracts the ionized dirt and debris. Periodically, the electrostatic precipitator can be removed and cleaned. Because the electrostatic precipitator comprises electrodes or plates through which airflow can easily and quickly pass, only a low amount of energy is required to provide airflow through the electrostatic precipitator. As a result, foreign objects in the air can be efficiently and effectively removed without the need for a mechanical filter element.
In one prior art air cleaner, an electrostatic precipitator element is connected to a power supply by some manner of wiring harness. Alternatively, the prior art can connect an electrostatic precipitator element to a power supply by some manner of conductive side rails or contacts extending from the electrostatic precipitator element.
The prior art has drawbacks. The high voltage employed in a typical electrostatic precipitator element presents a significant danger of shock or electrocution. The prior art does not provide an electrical conductor system that minimizes risk of contact with high voltage components by a person. The prior art does not provide a conductor system that is easy and efficient to install or remove, while also minimizing the risk of contact with high voltage components. Some prior art devices feature side insertion of an electrostatic precipitator element, wherein a person's hand can grip a portion of the electrostatic precipitator element as the electrostatic precipitator element is slid sideways into a frame, and therefore the hand can be between the electrostatic precipitator element and the power supply contacts or wires.